Kachina the Spirit Dancer
by 13litz13last
Summary: Kachina, a shape-shifter wolf from Taha-Uta's time, is called back from her wandering to help the new pack in their struggles with her hated enemies, the vampires.
1. Prologue

The noises first came in short bursts, like white noise within the great wolf's head. They would, from time to time, awaken within her head and continually bug the hell out of her until they died away.

It was a few weeks after this initially started that these noises began to form words. Yes, they weren't just random sounds that had, earlier, given the she-wolf the proof that she had finally, indeed, gone crazy. They were actual words. And no, they weren't fake voices inside her head that were created by her own insanity. They talked to each other, not her.

And finally, she realized that they reminded her of her past, when such noises had been a constant within her head.

At this thought, she stood. She knew what was going on. She knew something was up. Something was happening within her hometown, something she was currently not a part of but knew she would have to be.

And most of all, she knew she didn't want to be alone anymore.


	2. Arrival

La Push.

Kachina really couldn't say she missed the place, really. So rainy. She had never been a rainy type of person. She always had a sunny personality.

Until her family dropped dead, of course.

Still, it brought back old memories. Some of which she had hoped to keep repressed, but to no avail.

She contemplated leaving immediately and not bothering to help out the new pups in their struggles. They hadn't been alerted to her prescence, since it had been a long time since she learned how to forcibly hide her thoughts from others. Why not just leave now?

But there were a few obstacles. Obligation, being one. She hated this one, but an old sense of Quileute duty still hung tight in her morals and she knew she couldn't leave them. Not only that, she knew they wouldn't stand a chance against whatever vampires they were facing. They were puppies, after all.

Lastly? No more loneliness.

Still, the rain bugged her. It clung to her coat uncomfortably, reminding her of many days spent idly rough-housing with her brothers.

Shaking these thoughts from her giant wolf head, she focused on blending in with the night as she passed through the small town of Forks on her way to La Push.

What a dreary town. It had been a wasteland before the white settlers. Not that their settling had changed anything.

It wreaked of vampire, and though it was faint and an old scent, she still had a bad feeling about it.

She wondered if she should immediately state her prescence or keep it a secret. Maybe scope the place out a little, first. Or would it be easier if she just showed herself now? They would be in for a bit of a surprise, no doubt, seeing as they probably hadn't realized she was still alive. There hadn't been many wolf warriors over the years, so she doubted that they even remembered her, save for some scarce, vague stories told to young children to scare them. Yes, she was a mighty warrior. Or had they forgotten her legacy, too?

She hated herself, for a moment. She had been so great, and now just a pathetic lump of flesh.

She then decided self-pity was ridiculous and moved on, slipping through the wet darkness, shaking her flank often to rid it of the disgusting wetness. And the smell! She was a Native American, used to the wild and all that, but she had never been used to this wet-dog smell. It assaulted her nose viciously and she hated it.

She hated this experience altogether. She wished she could just die. But she knew she would never have it be done with naturally, unless she stopped being a wolf, which she could never force herself to do. And no doubt there was very little a possiblity that any human or vampire could do the job.

Suddenly, she stopped. What was that noise? Carefully, silently, she turned.

Through the dimness stood a figure. Tall, male, masculine. Fifteen, sixteen. Being told something by two older gentlemen.

Their scent was distinctly werewolf. (Yes, I know they're really shape-shifters, but I want to call them werewolves.) Kachina pricked her ears. They hadn't noticed her yet, because she was old and wise at stalking and they young and with idiotically dull senses.

"You can't tell her," said the eldest.

"But she's my friend," said the youngest. "And she'll be worried. I told her I didn't want to be with your gang, and now I am. What will she think?"

"Let her think what she wants! It doesn't matter!" said the third, rather angrily. He seemed to have temper issues.

"Please?" pleaded the youngest. "Bella wouldn't tell!"

"No!" barked the eldest, in an authorative tone. "As Alpha, I order you not to!"

Kachina snorted involuntarily. He was _not _Alpha. Her father had been. With him gone, along with her brothers, the next male in the line was automatically promoted to Alpha. Unfortunately, she was a female, and unless she beat the Alpha in combat, she couldn't be an Alpha.

This snort, unfortunately, didn't go undetected by the three strangers. They swiftly swiveled their heads around, scanning the woods.

"Did you see something?" "Something is definitely there." "But what?" "Vampire?" "No, no, there's none around..."

She was gone in a flash, blending in with the trees and nature itself.

This would be interesting. Very.


	3. Reliving the Past

_Hi, I'm the writer, though some of you already know that from reading my other story that has to do with Twilight, __**Alexandrine Ockley. **__(If you haven't read it, please do.)_ _I can already tell that I'm gonna have to refer back to my books __**a lot. **__Good thing I have three out of the four books! The only one I don't have is New Moon, not that it matters much because there was no romance. And I only cared about the romance parts! Though the Volturi parts were cool. I'm kinda scared, though--is that the one where Bella is taught about the past of the Quileutes? Because if so, I'm doomed._

--

Kachina disliked human form, but she knew she had no other choice. I mean, someone was _bound _to notice a giant wolf running rampant in the forest. Then again, she kept hearing tales of giant bears, so she guessed she wouldn't have been anything new.

She hated her home now. Strange, she seemed to be angry at everything. It was just that it was so different. She hadn't returned to this place for centuries, and in such a short time everything changed. It had just been a gigantic forest on the shores of the Pacific filled with tiny villages for thousands of years. It was quite different from the great Aztec and Maya civilizations she remembered visiting, in their golden ages. They had just lived a simplistic life. And now it was completely changed. What a shame. Stupid settlers.

She still wore what she had tied to her ankle, which was about three decades old by now. (She hadn't bothered to return to human state for a while.) And it still fit her body. She looked like the average eighteen- to twenty-year-old, even though she was actually (I had to go back into the book to estimate her age. And damn, it's a bitch to find, sorry for the language. Such a big book. God! Can't find it. Maybe it's not in Eclipse. Whatever. I'm guessing.) 25,000 yars old.

So she immediately went to the nearest clothes store she could find. The cashier was more than a little surprised to see her wearing a poodle skirt along with a tye-dye shirt, and not just because it didn't match. She bought--with twenty-year-old money--a green tee-shirt under a black, baggy sweatshirt, along with dark green baggy pants. (I can't describe clothes well, I know.) Then she ran from the store, somewhat eager to revisit places of her past.

She visited the beach first, reminded of so many times playing with her younger brothers. Doing chores with the other women--how angry was she at that, forced to do such work when she had the capabilities of a warrior.

The forest, where she dressed up like a boy in order to hunt with them, pretending to be from a friendly tribe.

Eventually, she wandered to where her home used to be. She wasn't surprised to find that someone had stupidly built a house on that spot. Though, she was surprised to smell something that brought many memories back.

One of her great-nephews?

Many of her many brothers and sisters had had children, and so it was only expected they would have children of their own. Now she smelled them. One was disabled--wheel-chair? The other was younger, perhaps his son. Maybe he was the boy from the forest...?

Of course, she couldn't waltz in to greet them. This was a small town, and it could be assumed that they all knew each other. It wasn't as if she could lie and say she lived a few blocks away, because they would know. And what reason would she have to go?

She had to plan carefully.

It was starting to grow dark--she had spent the day racing about her old home--and now she wanted to sleep. She hadn't had some sleep for two days straight, having scoped the area out and reliving old memories. Though she had stayed up longer before, the stress of this place was getting to her.

She decided the beach would be best. La Push seemed in no immediate danger, and she needed sleep.

She arrived at the long, cold beach just as a rain shower began. Well, at least she wasn't in wolf form. She huddled under a few jointed rocks on a bed of seaweed, and tried to lose herself in the pummeling sound of the heavy raindrops.

Unfortunately, she had no such luck.

The sound kept her awake, and she was soon remembering, against her will, her lost family.

She hugged herself.

What a dreary thing, to live forever, she realized. Because eventually all you love with die, and eventually you, some how or other. All things end. And when you live forever, you want to die. You realize things you wish you hadn't, and you see things you never wanted to see.

She closed her eyes and slept. Fitfully.


	4. Stupid Campers

_Sorry! In the last chapter I wrote that she was 25,000 years old, but humans only became humans (assuming you believe in evolution) 10,000 years ago. So, I'm making her age 5,000 now. I'll state that sooner or later._

--

Kachina woke with a start, back aching and sunlight drenching her. She was soaked to the bone, but she didn't feel cold.

She clambered out of the hell hole she had slept in and groggily searched for a place to eat. She realized her clothes were muddy and wet, so much so that it wouldn't be proper to enter an establishment. So she undressed and raced through the woods in wolf form, spotting some elk that looked mighty tasty.

Afterward, she wondered what it was she should do.

She realized her puppies were not in danger. She had assumed so because werewolves only sprung up when leeches were around, but it didn't seem that any were posing a threat, though there had to be some nearby...

She decided she wanted to protect them anyway, in case they needed help. She didn't want to reveal herself, because that would cause too much commotion and she didn't want to trouble herself in explaining to the current Quileutes who she was.

She dashed through the woods, enjoying the nothingness this brought. She hid her thoughts quite well, and was able to listen to some conversations.

_Go right, Jake, right!_

_Ok, ok, Sam! But--wait, it's getting away!_

_No! I'm hungry! Grrr!_

Bored, she raced off again, having fun running up trees. Usually the tree would bend and crack beneath her weight, and if she wasn't careful it would break, but she was able to fool around for a good half-hour before damming a river with a massive oak.

Then she reached the beach, becoming bored again, knowing Forks and La Push weren't in any danger, and feeling unneeded.

Night began to fall. Kachina didn't feel like getting caught by some teenage kids playing recklessly by the beach, so she trotted into the forest, rubbing herself against the damp bark of the trees to scratch an itch.

Suddenly, the smell of vampires peirced her nose, and she was instantly alert, sniffing with ferocity. Not a wolf was nearby, but a few lonesome campers about five miles off seemed like an easy target for hungry bloodsuckers.

It was easy to locate the leeches. The duo were bounding through the forest at a speed that rivaled her own, going toward the unlucky hikers.

_Ugh, why do I bother? _Kachina groaned, realizing too late that she hadn't hid the thought.

_What was that?_

_Who said that?_

_I don't know!_

_Ugh, I'll deal with you later, _Kachina grunted in her head, bounding with all she had towards the galloping vampires.

She weaved through the forest at an astonishing speed, even for a werewolf. She came up just short of the bloodsuckers in the field where the campers were. They left their tents in confusion, screaming in fear when they noticed her. _Oh, but they aren't afraid of a few bloodsuckers?_

They noticed her presence instantly and were prepared to fight. It was a male and female. The female was feline-like with the reddest hair Kachina had ever seen, and the male curiously a French Negro.

Kachina had seen very little black vampires and chuckled at the thought. She didn't discriminate in her killings.

Growling feircely, she attacked, pouncing on the two. She may have been intensely old, but she was extremely skilled in the fighting category. In her quest to free humans of the vampire menace, she had once gone on a killing spree in Mexico. Not the most vampire-less place in the world, as you might imagine. She came out almost scot-free with more than fifty killings on her side. Then again, she had had her brothers at her side...

The young vamps soon realized their disadvantage and backed off, probably deciding they didn't trust their fighting abilities enough. They were gone in an instant, leaving Kachina alone with the unhappy campers.

They were still screeching in confusion, at least seven of them--Kachina realized with dismay that it was a boy scout camping trip--were crying and wailing for their mothers.

She whined peacefully, making her eyes big and round as to calm them, to show them she meant no harm. She even smiled. This only increased their fear. The leader took a stick from the fire and tossed it at Kachina, as if he could chase her away and "save" his scouts.

Kachina disgustedly obeyed, leaving the area seething. She had been helping them! No doubt he'd be dubbed a hero, for chasing away the crazy-monster wolf-demon.

Wolves were always given the bad end of the stick. Kachina was furious.

She only tried to do the right thing. But what did it get her? In the stupid town of Forks, being chased away by a pathetic human.

Doing the right thing had killed her family.

Pent up anger and frustration let loose, and she bounded through the woods, bashing into trees without a second thought. The sound was ear-splitting and frightening, but she didn't care. Crying wolf-tears, she vented her anger on anything in sight.

She wasn't just angry at the campers, but at her life and how she lived it. She longed for her family, but she was painfully aware that they weren't there. This only fed the raging fire that was her anger.

Eventually, after about ten minutes, she calmed down, crawled under an overhang of rock, and slept.


	5. Slow Bella

No one believed them. Only Sam, Paul and Jacob had been in wolf-mode to hear the strange new voice.

"Just hearing things," Leah spat at them. (She was still upset about the whole Sam thing.)

Billy Black just thought it was a fluke, or something to that effect.

No one would believe them. So they, themselves, decided to just forget it.

Meanwhile, Kachina tried to become more civil. She went to a public bath and showered, wore clean clothes, had her flowing brown hair cut, and was able to reacquaint herself with proper eating utensils.

Finally, she felt like a normal teenager again. Well, looked, anyway. She doubted she could ever have that pure innocence of childhood back again.

But she didn't have much to do. She couldn't go to school, because the teachers would notice. And where else was there to go? Then again, she was an adult, so she could go looking for a job.

She decided on that. She tried several different stores before finding an opening at Newton's Sporting Goods for a cashier. There were few other workers there, and it just so happened that the only person to be working at the registers during her shift was a very depressed-looking clumsy teenager named Bella Swan.

The first day of her shift, which was during the evening, was very boring because Bella never talked. She was like a zombie.

Kachina sat on a stool behind the desk, staring at her. She didn't seem to notice.

But she smelled of something, and she couldn't really figure out what. It seemed like a mix of two very different aromas. One was faded, extremely so, the other was amazingly fresh.

Wolf.

Hmm. Either she had a German Shepherd at home or knew the Quileutes. Probably the latter, seeing as even if she had a dog it probably wouldn't go near her because she wouldn't be interested in him. She wasn't interested in anything.

But what was the faded scent? Differentiating the smells, Kachina came to a conclusion.

Vampire.

No, the girl wasn't a vampire. Just smelled like it. Ever so faintly. But a girl who hung out with vampires hung out with werewolves, too? Strange.

Kachina decided to take a chance. "Hey," she called to Bella, who was in the lane over from hers.

Bella looked up somberly, not even surprised to be called upon.

Kachina waited for an answering, "Hey" but it never came. So she went on awkwardly. "Um, do you know any..." Kachina only knew the surname. "Blacks?"

"Negroes?" Bella said confusedly.

"No, no, the Quileutes."

"Oh," she said stupidly. "Umm..."

_Wow, _Kachina thought, _she's slow._

"Ah, yes," she muttered finally. "Jacob. Billy."

Kachina was expecting her to ask: "Do you know him?" But it didn't come. She didn't seem that talkative.

"I just moved here to be near him. He's my cousin," Kachina lied, in case Bella was interested.

She wasn't.

She nodded and stared down at the register once again. This was boring the hell out of Kachina. She wanted to know what was happening with the Blacks without having to go near them, since she wanted to stay undercover.

"Umm...has he, uh, joined any gangs, or anything?" Kachina asked. She knew that it was customary for new werewolves to join the pack and this usually resulted in the look of a gang with very tall members. Kachina pretended to be concerned.

"Huh?" Bella said. "Oh. Uh. Yeah, yeah. Sam Uley's. I don't know if it's the best thing for him, though..." she trailed off, and for the first time, started to think hard.

"Oh." Kachina answered. Uley. That was familiar. Wait. Blacks were always the leaders, so why was a Uley taking charge? Interesting.

Finally, the job was over. Kachina started to leave when Bella flagged her down.

"Um, hey," she said, shuffling her feet just outside the Newton's Sporting Goods store entrance. "Do you...do you wanna hang out with us? I mean, Jake and me and you, all together. I hadn't heard of you, and I thought you might be feeling left out..."

_Huh. She formed a full sentence. Three, actually. _Kachina shook her head. "No, no," she said. "He doesn't know I'm here yet. We just moved. We're gonna surprise him."

Bella laughed. "That's kind of hard, since it's Forks, after all."

Kachina had forgotten. "Oh, yeah." Oops. Would they discover her?

Bella walked off, oblivious to her. Kachina sighed. Well, at least she knew more than she did yesterday.

She decided to keep an eye on this Bella person. She was very confused about her, actually. Did she know the vampires around here? Why was she hanging out with Jacob? She lived in Forks, not La Push, Kachina was sure. How much did she know?

Kachina slumped her shoulders, found a nice rock alcove among some large ferns, and slept through the rough storm.


	6. Who ARE You?

Kachina stood in the woods, breathing in the heady scent of pine and a recent fall of rain.

She was sitting on a rock, overlooking a river, just staring at her reflection. She'd been there hours. This might seem like a boring, unsual task for a warrior such as herself, but for someone so old it was rather pacifying.

She was only a short ways from the Black home, and could hear the uninterested Bella chatting to Jacob.

It was an odd thing, to think of Jacob as a great-nephew, as was his father. She'd met a few great-nephews in her time, throughout the years, but this was different. This world had turned so modern so fast, that meeting them in these circumstances was very odd for her.

She sighed, watching the splashing water. They reminded her so of her brothers. So rambunctious at times. So tall, masculine. Reckless.

A twig snapped. She was instantly at attention.

Thirty yards or so away stood the form of one of the Quileutes. Head tilted to the side in inquisition, his human form looking menacing, though Kachina was unfazed. His face was twisted in distrust.

Kachina was amazed. How had she been found out? Was she losing her touch? Maybe the flowing river had made her faze out and forget where she was.

"Who are you?" called the boy--er, man, to today's standards--as he seemed ready to shift to wolf form at any time.

Kachina stared on, unsure of what to do. She remained unmoving, watching for what the wolf-boy would do.

"Are you...?" he trailed off suggestively. He seemed to want to ask her if she was indeed also of his kind, but couldn't come right out and say, "Are you a werewolf?"

Before Kachina could formulate a proper answer, a howl of longing erupted from the depths of the forest. A wolf wanted his pack to form and help him out in what seemed to be a mini-crisis.

The kid was gone in a flash, galloping and shifting to wolf form in a clumsy fashion. Kachina, gracefully, followed.

_I'm being tailed by a bloodsucker. Need back up. Where's Jacob?_

_With Bella. You've only got Quil and me, Sam. _

_But it's the redhead! We need more._

_Well, you've got me._

Shock, which is a feeling, which aren't translated as thoughts, but can be felt through the bond, exploded within Kachina's three contacts.

_Who ARE you? _Sam questioned.

Kachina, still able to hide some thoughts, didn't answer.

_It's the girl from the forest I found!_ Paul shouted.

_But who--shit, the leech's gaining on me._

_Just hold on! We'll be there in a sec. Hey, girl--wait, a girl?!_

_Yes, nimrod. I'll be there in a moment._

Then she was bounding off, knowing exactly where her estranged family was headed.

Her senses came in contact with the vampire almost immediately. She was a fiesty one; could change directions in a flash. She was really only a ball of red, twisting among the gnarled, old timber that littered this ancient part of the wood.

Several other wolves came into her vision, and she ran near them, as they formulated a plot.

_I don't know who you are, but, girl--you can run! _Sam complimented.

_That's irrelevent and vain. Who's this daring little leech? _Kachina questioned.

_We don't know, but she's been in the area a while. We're suspicious of her._

_When are you NOT suspicious of a vampire, young Alpha?_

_Um...um...anyway, are you any good?_

_How downright insulting. I'll get you for that._

With that, she unexpectedly bolted forward and pranced head-on, straight into the vampire, jaws spread wide.

Taken aback, she stumbled, but because of her level of ability she deftly averted the attack and was soon lost among the bracken. The wolves deliberately let her go. They were all too absorbed in the newcomer's prescence to care for the bloodsucker currently.

They stood in a circle. Well, it was like a circle, though when looking at a birds-eye view it became apparent that the three Quileutes were closer together than near the strange wolf-girl.

_Who are you? _asked the leader, stepping forward.

For a moment, Kachina couldn't answer. She was taken aback by how much they looked like her brothers. Their coats were nearly the same...except her youngest brother had been an off white, for he was the most innocent, cute thirteen-year-old Kachina had ever known.

_Why are you so silent? _Sam asked angrily, prompting Kachina from her thoughts.

_I learned how to control my thoughts a long while ago. _

_Could you teach me that? _asked the youngest wolf, whom Sam gave the evil eye.

_My name is Kachina. A Black, I suppose. I didn't use that surname, "back in the day." We had no use for such things. You were known by your name, not by any other. Actually, Kachina isn't my real name. Real Quileutes hide their real names, as a matter of containing their beauty..._

_Yeah, yeah, whatever. _Sam shook his head. _But who ARE you? You're not from around here. I know no one of the name "Kachina."_

_I'm not of your time._

Sam growled in annoyance. _What does THAT mean? Who ARE you?_

_I'm Kachina, _she answered patiently. _And I'm here to help you._


	7. You Don't Know Me!

_Who the hell...?_

_Kachina? What the hell kinda name is Kachina?_

_I don't trust her._

_She's one of us, we have to trust her!_

_But..._

_God, guys, I'm right here. I can hear __**everything **__you're saying._

_Right. Well, __**excuse **__us._

They were headed back to the Blacks' home. The three young wolves--Sam, Quil, and Paul--were "forcing" Kachina along with them, and they were convinced she was "afraid" of getting hurt by them.

It couldn't have been more the opposite. Kachina _wanted _to go. She wanted to meet her relatives, the only ones she was aware of possessing. And she wasn't afraid, of course, she was a seasoned fighter, ready for anything, and she rather liked the rowdy bunch she traveled with, though their questions bugged the hell out of her.

_How old are you?_

_You're really from here?_

_Why can't we hear your thoughts?_

And, of course, the dreaded: _Where's your family?_

All she could hope to do was ignore them, but it was hard. She had to concentrate to keep her thoughts hidden. It's a quite universally unknown fact that one of the hardest things to do in the _world_--yes, the world, and through its entire history--to hide thoughts from other wolves, if you are a wolf. She was ok at it, but she had to concentrate, and this was becoming increasingly difficult as they reminded her so of her brothers.

Snippets of her thoughts were becoming visible. (It is also widely unknown that this is one of the things Edward Cullen wants most to happen when it comes to Alexandrine Ockley.)

_--And the way he--_

_--Looks like little Namid--_

_--Man, Hania would have hated--_

And this only furthered the Quileute's suspicions of the stranger.

When they neared the home of Jacob, they weren't sure what to do.

_Can you become human? _Sam asked hesitantly.

_Yeah, yeah! _Sam said, almost accusingly. _She can!_

_Should we...go inside...? _Sam wondered.

Quil spoke up. _How about I keep watch, and you get Billy?_

_Brilliant, _Paul scoffed. _Why didn't I think of that?_

_Be nice, _Sam warned. _Paul, come. We'll change when we're out of sight._

And so they left, leaving Quil all alone with Kachina.

He wouldn't have admitted it, but he was scared. He wasn't used to such a foreigner, only his own pack. He couldn't hear a voice in her at all currently. Worse, he realized every thought _he _had, _she_ heard. He became embarrassed, all the while knowing she knew he was embarrassed; knew he was afraid, nervous, unsure.

And she continued to stare in silence.

He couldn't read her eyes. They were so unseeing--they saw something else, not anything here.

_--Daddy would have laughed--_

Another snippet. He wondered what she was thinking. Was she making fun of him?

_Why so serious?_ she finally bothered to ask.

After he jumped from his skin and promptly pulled it back on, Quil answered, _uhh...I don't know you?_

_You asked that like a question. And you said "uh" while thinking. You're not very bright, are you?_

_Hey, don't say that. You...you don't know me!_

_Well, you look like someone I know._

_Who? Those people you keep murmuring about?_

_Don't ask. Forget it._

Quil turned mocking. _Man, you're crazy. What, were they __**important **__to you? God, you're annoying._

Kachina was unbelievably enraged. How dare he? She was an elder, and he was a mere boy unworthy of her company. Besides, why would she want to spend any time with a kid like him who seemed to misunderstand her to such an extent?

Annoyed, she jumped at such a speed even Quil barely noticed--but he certainly noticed about the time her paw bashed onto the top of his head.

She trotted away as he lay motionless on the ground, sprawled between the trees and rocks--between the forest and civilization, between man and beast.

She knew she hadn't hurt him. She would never do that. But he deserved a good thrashing. Parents were too good to their children these days. Some of them _deserved _a thrashing or two.

She loped away, almost happily. Almost.

--

"What?" Billy gasped, dropping the toast he'd been buttering. "_What _was her name?"

"Er...Kachina, I think," Sam provided, wringing his hands. "Do you...know her?"

"Know her?" Billy said, emotionless. "Know her? Bring her here!"Paul immediately dashed from the house, only to return within the moment, looking rather dejected.

"Where is she?" Billy asked. "Where's the girl?"

"She, uh," Paul coughed sheepishly. "She's...uh...gone?"

Billy nearly fainted.

--

_And that's that chapter! _

_"Namid" means Star Dancer, FYI. And "Hania" means Spirit Warrior. And "FYI" means For Your Information._

_Also, if you're confused about the "Alexandrine Ockley" comment I made, then you haven't read my other Twilight fanfic--which is called, as you might expect, "Alexandrine Ockley."_

_You should read it!_

_By the way, Kachina asked, "Why so serious?" Which is from the Dark Knight. Yup._

_Ok, bye!_


	8. Please, get OFF!

_Goddamn, guys, you better enjoy this chapter. You know how long it took me to find the right place in Eclipse to get my info? A VERY LONG TIME. I'm still searching for it as I write this..._

_Ha. Found it. APPRECIATION, PLEASE!!_

_Also, I honestly don't know much of the old Quileute culture, so I just improvised. _

_Sorry if it's rather short. All my chapters are._

--

_Ugh. What was I __**thinking**__? _thought Kachina, zigzagging through the forest at a breakneck pace, but for her, it wasn't that fast. _Why the hell did I reveal myself? I was doing so well..._

But she knew the reason.

She slowed down, looking around. She smelled the musty smell of a coming rain.

_Oh, just perfect, _Kachina thought bitterly.

Still, this place was her old home, and it brought back such memories.

She could almost feel herself be pulled back in time...

--

Kachina sat on a rock in her human form, looking over the ocean. She was fourteen at the time, and was almost the age she would finally be turned into a werewolf. As you can imagine, this was a very, very long time ago.

The waves crashed onto the beach, and Kachina could see both women and men wade into the water to catch whatever fish was there to catch.

She had this sinking feeling in her gut, like someone was watching her. Someone...or something.

Suddenly, there was an ear-splitting roar, and a gigantic wolf ripped from the forest, and straight toward her.

Terrified at first, Kachina jumped back and down for cover, but the wolf was too fast. It was on her in a single deft lope, pinning her to the ground gently in one forepaw.

Kachina coughed up some sand before shouting angry, "Hania! Please, get _off_!"

The wolf whimpered, mocking hurt, and licked Kachina right in the face. She coughed angrily.

Then he slide off her, landing in the soft sand and wriggling playfully. He barked for attention, belly to the sky.

Kachina sighed and started to rub his stomach. "I do too much for you, man."

He wriggled some more and stood, then crouched for Kachina to hop on.

So she did, climbing up and locking her long, lean legs around his abdomen.

Then they were flying, at a speed Kachina really couldn't calculate. Her long, beautiful charcoal hair fanned out behind her, pink and blue beads shimmering in the sunlight.

The brown and black coat of Hania was warm and soft beneath her legs, and she hugged him for fear of falling off.

They were through the forest in a flash, and they ended up in a small clearing, with five or so other figures.

"Taha-Kachina, Taha-Hania," said the eldest male, waving for her to come toward him. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, a small boy in his lap, chewing on a harmless peice of animal hide.

"Hello, Father," Kachina said, jumping off from Hania and walking over to the man, standing among both her half and full brothers. "Hello, Namid," she said to the little boy in her father's arms.

"We brought you here to talk to you about something," said the old chief.

Kachina was about to say something when one of her older half-brothers suddenly interrupted.

"Hey, you!" he shouted, though he was right next to her. "Hey! Hey, are you listening?!"

Kachina nodded, but the boy kept calling. "Hey, listen to me! Hey!"

--

Suddenly, Kachina was back to reality, and realized she'd been standing stock-still. Her head immediately flew to her right, where the noise had been coming from.

"Hey!" called a man, perhaps twenty, standing maybe twenty feet from her.

She instantly recognized him as the Alpha from the pack she'd run with.

"Come back!" he said, beckoning her toward him. "We need to talk to you! Come with us!"

Kachina looked over to him with dead eyes.

She went.


	9. The Meeting

_Hi, guys!! Sorry if it's not good. Ha, I'm so insecure! I just feel like apologizing to everyone because I always think it sucks. But, nevermind me. Read away!_

--

The Black home was cozy, and Kachina felt at peace in it. It was filled with people she was related to, and who not only knew of her abilities but understood them. Though she still felt resentful of the wolves who'd treated her so rudely, she realized that it would be better this way if everyone knew she was there.

"You...you're..." Billy was speechless.

"I'm Kachina," she said.

They sat opposite each other on two couches, Billy's mouth agape and Kachina staring out the window. Sam, Paul, and Quil watched tensely, sitting on the floor behind the coffee table.

"Why are you here?" Billy asked.

Sam stood, angry. "Who the hell are you? You bash Quil's head in, and then you just waltz in here? You got some nerve, woman!"

Kachina's peircing eyes glared at him. "What did you say, _pup_?"

"Sam! Stop!" Billy shouted, and Sam was taken aback at Billy's change in character. "Be respectful!"

"Why the hell should I?" Sam objected, glowering at Kachina. "The little bi--"

"Sam!"

Kachina smiled dryly. "You wanna have a go?"

Billy was suddenly fearful. "Please, he's just a boy. He doesn't know anything. You could kill him."

Sam bared his teeth, while still human. "Yeah right. She doesn't stand a chance. She's a _girl._"

Kachina didn't react, she just stared blankly. She was not going to let this kid get the better of her. "You're just feeling threatened." Then she turned to Billy. "It's alright, Billy. I know they're ill-informed. I wouldn't hurt them."

Quil stood, Paul following, enraged. "You tried to kill me!"

Kachina giggled now, and the tension seemed to ease a little. "What, did that _hurt _you, _little boy?_"

Quil growled lowly, but sat. Paul leaned against the wall, looking as if he wanted to ripe her throat out.

Sam sighed. "Ok, I'll admit: I don't know much about all this." He skillfully changed his wrathful expression to that of pleading. "Could you explain?"

Before she could say a thing, Billy filled in for her. "You remember the great Taha-Aki, from our legends?"

They nodded solemnly.

"This is his daughter."

Their eyes practically bugged out of their heads.

"M-Maybe we were a little qu-quick to judge," Sam stammered, sitting down, Paul following suit. Quil just lowered his head, not wanting to meet her gaze.

"Maybe you were," she said, leaning back on the couch.

"But...Kachina...can I call you that?" Billy asked, extremely unsure of himself here.

"Of course."

"Why...are you here?"

Kachina sighed, looking at the ceiling. She pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting off fatigue. So stressful.

"I starting hearing their voices in my head," she admitted, and nearly laughed at how much she sounded like she was paranoid. "And I realized that for the first time in at least a hundred years, there were wolves again."

"But...why did you decide to come?" Billy asked, leaning forward.

"I...thought you might need help," she amended. Well, it was partly true, anyway.

"How long have you been here?" Sam questioned, speaking up.

"Not extremely long," Kachina admitted, continuing to look at the ceiling.

"We don't need your help with anything," Paul growled lowly.

Sam hissed at him to shut up.

"Even with that redhead?" Kachina inquired.

Paul looked away.

"Look," Kachina said, standing. "I should go. I'll be in the area if you need me. I won't be a nuisance. I'll probably be in wolf form most of the time, so talk to me if you need me, ok?"

They just stared.

"I'll take that as a yes. I'll look for the vamp, alright? Right." She felt like running away from there. She didn't want to be in that home, talking to them. She hadn't talked to anyone before arriving there in ages. She just wanted to go sleep.

She fled the house before anyone could stop her.


	10. Obedient Little Puppy

_Wow, I just realized something. My chapters are really short. And sometimes I reread them, and some spelling and grammar errors unnerve me, because I always reread my chapters before posting. Wow, I'm absent-minded. And time goes by so fast, I don't realize it's been weeks since I reposted. I apologize. You'll just have to wait, I guess. I'll try to repost faster._

_Oh yeah, and I'm messing with the storyline. It's too hard to go exactly. I just thought I'd warn you. Though maybe I've said this before...?_

--

It was bitterly cold. Biting. Bella wrapped herself tighter in her scratchy wool jacket. She thought it was ugly and lumpy and extremely uncomfortable, but it was the warmest thing she could find in the house. And she really didn't care if anyone saw. If Edward was there, she might have dressed up...

Kachina watched with shielded curiosity as Bella, just outside Newton's Sporting Goods store, abruptly slowed in her walking to clutch her stomach in what seemed to be pain. Cramps, perhaps? No, she knew that look.

Heartbreak.

Bella entered the store, fighting to gain control of herself once more. After lugging that horrid jacket off, she set herself up at the same register as last time.

What a strange creature. She still had the faint scent of vampire...

But something more.

She still smelled of wolf. Even more overpowering than before. It nearly drowned out her vampire smell.

This was so confusing. She had enough on her mind as it was. She hadn't heard from the new wolf pack in days, after their little meeting. Perhaps they didn't really want her to interfere with their business. But they seemed to be popping up everywhere--she couldn't keep herself away from her ancestral land, and now, even at work, there was a trace of them.

Kachina sighed and sat on the uncomfortable cashier stool provided by Newton's Sporting Goods. She wanted to leave. Not just this boring store, but this place, too. _So _badly. They didn't need her. They didn't want her. She was probably in the way, anyway.

But she couldn't force herself to go.

Because, well...even if they didn't need her...

She needed them.

Suddenly, the store's front entrance opened with the tinkle of a bell. Kachina tiredly gazed up from where she'd been staring with dead eyes at the floor.

Crap. She really just couldn't get a break, could she?

In walked Jacob Black, whom Kachina had only seen and heard from at a distance, during her many scouts around the La Push reservation. But, seeing him close up...

Kachina couldn't breathe. Her heart nearly stopped. She clutched her stomach in pain and bang her head softly on the corner of the counter.

Why, oh _why _did he have to look so much like Hania?

He walked up to Bella's counter, making it a point not to give Kachina any of his attention. Kachina was angry at this, but glad, too. Not only would she not have to face this kid, but doing such a thing as Jake had just done was not in Hania's nature. Maybe the more she got to know Jacob--though she honestly didn't know if she _wanted _to learn about him--the more he'd probably less resemble Hania. And that was _extremely _important.

They started to chat. Kachina, though she knew this really wasn't the greatest of times, couldn't restrain herself from listening in.

"...and come down to La Push with me," Jake said earnestly.

Bella glared. "Are you still with that Uley kid?"

"Bella, I told you! I can't help it!"

"Then I'm not going."

Hmm. This was an interesting development. Kachina banged her head once again on the counter, realizing just how weird it was that she was looking at this situation as if it were a drama on TV.

"Why not? Sam won't be there! None of them will! Just you and me, working on the Rabbit! I promise!"

Bella ground her teeth. "But what if Sam came and asked you to do something for him?"

Jake looked away. "I guess I'd have to do it..."

"Exactly. You're like an obedient little puppy with a master who manipulates you."

Kachina couldn't help but grin at that.

"Listen, Bella," Jake pleaded. "I already asked him to do the best he could to leave me out of anything right now. He agreed..." He trailed off.

"For now," Bella finished her sentence.

"Well, it's better than nothing, right?"

"I don't want to go! Either you leave that stupid bunch of idiotic boys or I won't come anymore!"

Jacob was silent. Kachina looked up from the counter to catch Jake and Bella staring at each other menacingly. Jake's hands were shaking.

"Bella, I'm trying to ask you nicely," Jake growled.

"And I'm nicely replying with a no," Bella said curtly.

"You don't understand a thing!"

"Then tell me what's going on!"

"I can't!"

Bella called out then. "Security..."

"You don't have security here, Bella. We're in Forks, for crying out loud."

"Mike can be quite a formidable enemy."

"I could squash him in an instant."

"You do, and I'll never go to La Push ever again."

Jake was suddenly storming from the store, leaving Bella bewildered at his insane speed. Mike came running to assist Bella--probably in the hopes of getting to "show off" to her--but she politely waved him away. He left, sulking.

Kachina sat solemnly on her stool, staring at Bella's back. After about ten minutes, Bella turned and stared back at her.

Kachina's gaze was unwavering.

"What do you want?" Bella snapped.

Kachina shrugged her shoulders. "You got into a fight with my cousin."

"So?"

Kachina shrugged once more.

Bella made a guttural noise that sounded like disgust. "That's it. I'm outta here. Tell Mike I'm off early."

Kachina watched her unblinkingly as she stomped out of the store, assaulting the door on her way out. Her engine then roared to life, speeding out as fast as such an old machine can speed out.

Mike came running. "The hell is going on?"

Kachina sighed. "I dunno," she answered, standing. "Mike, there hasn't been a customer in an hour. Close up the shop. You've lost your second cashier for the day."

Mike gaped. "But...but..."

"Don't worry, you won't lose any business. I need to return Bella's coat." She glided gracefully over to Bella's ugly jacket that she'd left in her hurry, wondering if it was really worth it to chase after Bella.

Eh. She had nothing better to do.

Leaving Mike in a frenzy, she exited the store and headed for the trees.


	11. Friend or Foe?

_It's a late upload, but when is it not? I was kinda busy. Mourning Michael Jackson...*sigh*. Ack, this chapter is short. Sorry._

-

Kachina was relieved to have something to do. Even if she tried to make herself believe she was only doing this to return her coat--and for kicks and giggles--she knew she was doing this to watch Bella, because she had _something _to do with the Quileutes. And therefore, it was important.

Bella drove along the road in seemingly a drunk way. Kachina, having never really gotten drunk (or so anyone alive knew, anyway) she couldn't really say she knew what it was to _be _drunk. But if there ever was a real drunk driver, it was Bella at this point in time.

Kachina peered through her truck window through the trees she was racing in. She was following in wolf form. Bella had absolutely no idea she was even there.

_Why would someone hold their stomach while driving? _Kachina thought to herself. _What, is she pregnant...?_

Then Bella's truck lurched onto a dirt road jutting randomly from the forest's edge. It took a moment for Kachina to realize something.

This place smelt utterly horrible.

It was like a landfill that had been left rotting for a long time, filled with old fruit and vegetables and car parts soaked in oil and anything under the sun. It was so putrid, in fact, that Kachina decided not to breathe at all, though her rough yet beautiful coat of fur could feel every inch of this fog of stench.

It was vampire.

She would have turned around, but she was way too curious to see what Bella would do.

Yet, she was uneasy. This place smelled so strongly that she had to plug her nose. And even if she hadn't, she still wouldn't have been able to differentiate many smells. She was practically blind here.

Bella's old truck seemed to have its own personality--that of an old man, whining about everything. The truck couldn't turn for anything, nearly hitting a tree at every corner. And it didn't help that this path--a driveway, Kachina soon realized--was full of rocks and bumps in the ground, jolting the vehicle from side to side in defiance.

Finally, the road evened out and they came to a small clearing. In the middle was a large house, windows boarded up and door nailed shut. Kachina's eyes roamed it, looking for anything unusual. She found nothing. Until she smelled.

Kachina's nose seemed as if it was burning. Was this the source of the smell? A vampire's home? But vampires didn't have homes. They moved alone or with only one or two others, living a nomadic lifestyle. This wasn't the old home of _a_ vampire, either. It was the old home of _many _vampires.

Kachina hid herself amongst the bracken, staying in the shadows and keeping an eye on Bella. She stumbled from the car, clutching her stomach in agony, and fell to the ground. She stared at the house absently, body shaking slightly, then dropped her head to the ground.

Why did she come here? Kachina wondered. Is this the place where her vampire friends stayed?

A crack sounded through the woods, that of a broken twig. Kachina's ears instantly pricked--all animals had fled or quieted when the echoing sound of the truck had approached, and Kachina hadn't heard much of any animal all the way up the drive--not that that was an easy thing to do, seeing as the truck made more noise than screaming Michael Jackson fans. Was the crack made by a human? Or...

Before Kachina could identify the sound, the culprit entered the scene from behind the deserted building. Kachina couldn't believe she'd missed him.

What was stranger, too, was that he seemed to see her. His eyes were staring straight at Bella, but you could tell his attention was split.

And his eyes were red.

Kachina wanted to growl a warning to Bella, but that would only frighten her. She didn't know that werewolves even existed.

But she did seem to know vampires. Maybe he was a friend...? Oh, what to do...

"Bella, Bella, Bella," the vamp chuckled, stopping a few feet away from the still sitting girl, whose eyes were wide with disbelief. Well, Kachina thought, at least he knows her.

"Laurent," she choked, blinking fast. "What are you doing here?""I could ask the same," Laurent answered. "There's no one here."

Bella's head lowered somberly. "Yeah," she whispered. Her head jerked up again. "But you are!"

"I am," Laurent said, turning his gaze to stare into the forest, straight at Kachina, looking at her, and yet not seeing anything.

"Why?" Bella seemed frightened to ask.

"I was on a little mission," Laurent replied, turning back to her. "Victoria's orders."

Bella's eyes widened.

Laurent's grin grew.

Kachina's legs tensed.

The world held it's breath.


	12. That Fucker

_Sorry for the wait. I went on vacation for two weeks, and then I moved, so it took a while. _

--

"I'm going to assume you understand what I mean by that," Laurent said, standing amid the overgrown weeds and ant colonies, one seeming to make its way up his left calf before he, with one deft swipe of his hand, blew them all south with the wind.

Bella just stood there, too afraid to move, and as it seemed to Kachina, having a mental conversation with someone.

"You...uh...what?" Bella mumbled, blinking fast and shaking her head slightly. "I...um...I'm not entirely sure...what you mean, no. No, I suppose you could...possibly...clarify?"

"I'm thirsty, Bella," Laurent said bluntly, eyes scanning the distant horizon above the shaking of the trees, watching as lone thunderclouds arched and wove through the sky. "Not only that, I'm _bored. _Every one human I've ever killed had no idea what I was...I could see, sense, _smell _their fear...but they hadn't any idea what they were afraid _of_. You, on the other hand...you understand. You know exactly what to be afraid of, why you should be afraid...and to the perfect degree."

This entire time Laurent had been jabbering away, almost to himself, as Kachina tried to calculate a good plan. What would be the best course of action? Kachina knew nothing about Laurent, other than he was a vampire and he was dangerous, thirsty, and targeting Bella. Bella was like any other human; Kachina couldn't stand the thought of standing by and letting her die, even at the risk of her seeing her wolf form, and whatever consequences that might mean for her, and for the local Quileutes...

Bella swallowed hard, hands visibly shaking, sweat forming in the creases on her forehead. "But...what about...what about Victoria? Killing me would get her on your bad side, you know," Bella stammered, trying to think of an excuse to deny the inevitable, as Laurent seemed to be set in his plan of attack. "She wanted you to find me, right? Wouldn't she want to kill me herself?"

Laurent shrugged. "I'll deal with her later. It's not all that big of a deal to me. What will she do, kill me?" Laurent laughed at this, but his lone chuckle seemed to echo in the clearing, leaving Bella wide-eyed and breathless.

Ok, he needs to go, Kachina decided. Of course, it would have been better to trap him and scrape out as much info out of him as possible about Bella, and her ties to whatever vampires had lingered a while here earlier, but he seemed too dangerous. Besides, she'd have no way to communicate with him.

"And of course," Laurent mused absent-mindedly, "it's so much fun when there's a little fight for the prize, you understand?"

Kachina tensed. Fight for the prize...?

Bella seemed just as confused. "You mean, with Victoria?"

"Heavens, no," Laurent said, running a hand through his locks. "That awfully giant wolf thing in the woods there."

Have you ever seen something, or perhaps smelled something, that brought you back to a time long before then? Perhaps the lifeless smile of a small teddy bear made you think of your childhood, or the incline of a rising roller coaster caused you to remember your sixth or seventh birthday. The odor of fish could dredge up memories of the time your Uncle Jim brought you fishing for a day, or the drone of a bee could remind you of an old History teacher who no one listened to yet was infinitely annoying.

This is what happened to Kachina then. The eyes of that vampire, red and daring, stared into her large, warm brown eyes with an intense gaze. They reminded her of something...

Flashes of memory darted before her vision. Whines of dogs and the howl of a wolf, running, jumping, swimming...

Dying.

A growl rumbled in her throat, rising from the depths of her stomach, and she didn't even try to stifle it. Bella gasped and looked back, forgetting the danger presented before her.

Kachina stepped from the veil of trees she had been hiding in and into the mismatched rays of the sun, casting long shadows upon the ground.

_You, _she thought, though he couldn't hear her. _It was __**you**__..._

Laurent smiled devilishly, clearly enjoying every minute of this. "You know full well it wasn't me," Laurent murmured, guessing at what was running through Kachina's overwhelmed mind. "It was Clayton, and you already killed him."

True enough. That day her brother had died, she'd killed the one who had done it--Clayton.

_I finally know that fucker's name._

That fucking Clayton, blond hair flashing, red eyes gleaming, blood dripping from those glinting teeth...

_But you helped him, _Kachina couldn't help but think. _You helped him..._

Bella, confused and startled, looking back and forth between the shivering, trembling wolf and the stoic, icy Laurent.

"You couldn't save him," Laurent growled menacingly, but Kachina didn't flinch.

A smile spread across his demonic face.

"And you can't save her, either," he informed her.

He lunged.


	13. How Pathetic

_So, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry. _

_I just kept putting off writing another chapter. I'm so lazy. I keep saying I'll try harder, but I never do. Sorry!_

--

Kachina darted in front of Bella just as Laurent closed in on her, blocking his path. Her teeth bared, snarles echoing across the lonely field, she was intending to end his existence then and there.

She clenched her jaw. Behind her, Bella cowered, falling to her knees. Laurent cackled, and Kachina set her sights on him.

"I know you're a powerful beast, but you can't beat a vampire when he's thirsty," he informed her. "It's just...impossible. His need is too great."

_Except against a wolf who's lost her family, _thought Kachina drily.

Laurent levelly stared into Kachina's eyes.

Kachina fearlessly stared back.

Now, _she _lunged.

Her teeth ripped through Laurent's chest, but she didn't kill him, that was too easy. She wanted to play. She shook her prize in her mouth and threw him against a tree.

Laurent looked up at her with blood-red eyes, breathing heavily, lying against the tree. The theatrics were dull, she knew he hadn't felt much of anything. A few puncture marks dotted his chest, his shirt ripped, but it was far from enough to make him pant.

"Is that all you have?" Laurent questioned, picking himself up with ease. "Your brother would be disappointed."

Kachina roared, snout rippling.

Bella was immobile, watching as Laurent talked one-sidedly. He was talking to a giant wolf, who didn't seem to be answering. Bella looked at them, from one to the other, and back again. She couldn't grasp this. Vampires were one thing, but giant wolves?

"I'm going to have her," Laurent said nonchalantly, stepping forward without inhibition. "It is, as you must know, inevitable."

He was just talking now, empty words. Not that they didn't mean anything, that was his true intent, but he wasn't really talking to her, just speaking without thinking, as his eyes were now on Bella, probably running through every possible scenerio, picking the best one that would end with him winning--but not just winning, winning _triumphantly. _Getting Bella, but also beating Kachina as humiliatingly as he could manage.

_I would __**never **__let that happen, _she told herself. _Never!_

_What the fuck is going on? What's all the growling?_

_Paul, is that you? Get over here. Jake!_

_I'm here, I'm here, what the hell's going on?_

_You tell me!_

_It's coming from over there, let's go--_

_Is that Bella? I smell Bella. Kachina?_

_If you get in my way, I'll kill you._

Kachina's warning was sincere, and every wolf present could tell. They started running to her anyway, knowing something serious _had _to be going on.

Laurent sniffed the air. He knew they were coming too. Kachina could tell he was trying to shake it off, as if it was no big deal, as if he could take them all, but Kachina knew better. He was afraid.

Kachina liked him being afraid. But she didn't want him to be afraid of them. She wanted him to be afraid of _her_.

She stepped forward, and he stepped back. He seemed to be rethinking this whole thing. She was infuriated.

She nodded her head at him, gesticulating toward Bella. _Come on, go get her, _she thought. _What's the matter?_

He ran.

A split second later, he had a wolf on his tail.

--

Bella staggered backward, shaking at what she'd just witnessed. A giant wolf...Laurent...

She wobbled back toward her car, and she could almost see Edward there; his prescence was so intense in her mind.

_Get out of there! Fuck, Bella, didn't I tell you before? Go!_

_I know, I know, I know, _she said again and again. But even if she could have moved, even if her legs had let her, she probably wouldn't have. As much danger as she had been in, it was worth it if she could imagine that Edward cared.

Just when she thought it was all over, four more wolves showed up, as if they had been called. She had heard no howling. She dropped to the ground next to her truck, clinging to the shiny silver handle, hoping they wouldn't notice her.

But of course, they did, and four humongous brown and black heads turned toward her, quizzically looking her up and down.

One long-haired one started to move toward her, but the big black one growled menacingly, and he stopped.

Bella shivered. _Well,_ she thought, _at least this is interesting._

_Leave! _Edward ordered.

--

_Where the hell'd she go?_

_That way, of course, can't you smell her?_

_Oh, right, right, she went toward the sea._

_No, Laurent went toward the sea, and she followed._

_Of course._

_Should we follow? She told us not to interfere. _

_But maybe we should, she could kill herself. _

_No, she's too old to do something like that. She'll take care of Laurent, just you wait. Let's get Bella out of here._

Sam ordered Quil to take care of Bella, and the other three left, though Jake was a little fearful.

Quil's enormous, furry wolf body inched forward toward the frozen Bella. Droplets of water began their descent from the sky, staining his brilliant coat. He bared his fangs soundlessly.

Bella jumped up and was in the car before Edward could say a word. Her engine roared senilely and she lurched down the dirt road, not bothering to look behind her to see the tail of the wolf disappear into the darkness of the surrounding forest.

--

"I understand your need to avenge your brother, but it's useless," Laurent called, almost skipping. "He's dead, Clayton's dead, what more can you do?"

_So much more, _Kachina thought. _So much more._

"It gives you purpose to chase me, right?" Laurent asked, not even looking behind him as Kachina gained on him. "Your entire family's dead, what more do you have to live for? To kill me? How pathetic."

_What's pathetic is..._ Kachina began. _What's pathetic is..._

Her nails scraped his sneakers, and her trail of thought ended.


End file.
